Foot for earth compacting roller implements



April 4, 1950 R. G. LE TOURNEAU FOOT FOR EARTH COMPACTING ROLLER IMPLEMENTS Filed Oct. 5, 194a INVENTOR. ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU Mimi HTTYS Patented Apr. 4, i950 FOOT FOR EARTH COMPACTING ROLLER IMPLEMENTS Robert G. Le Tourneau, Longview, Tex., assignor to R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., Stockton, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 5, 1948, Serial No. 52,888

1 Claim.

The present invention relates generally to earth compacting implements; one object of the invention being to provide a novel tamping foot for earth compacting roller implements of the type also known as sheeps foot rollers.

The invention has for an additional object the provision of a forged steel tamping foot which is of a design that is very effective for tamping or compacting initially loose earth, upon advance of the roller.

The invention provides, as a further object, a tamping foot which is self-cleaning when in use on a roller.

It is also an object to provide a tamping foot having a base designed for welding, readily, to the periphery of a roller drum; the foot, after welding to the drum, being rigid, sturdy, and not susceptible to easy damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel, integral reinforcing between the outwardly projecting shank and base of the tamping foot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical foot for earth compacting roller implements, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tamping foot, detached.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the improved foot is of integral construction, preferably formed of forged alloy steel, and comprises the following:

The numeral I indicates an elongated, frustoconical shank, whose blunt or flat outer working end is indicated at 2.

The elongated frusto-conical shank I is hollow, as at 3, so as to reduce the amount of material required in the manufacture of the foot; such hollow, however, gradually reducing in diameter at the outer end portion of the shank I, as at 4,

to increase the strength at such point.

At its inner end the hollow shank I is formed with a continuous, generally rectangular, outwardly projecting base flange 5, rounded at the corners, as at 6.

The bottom I of the base flange 5 is concave to matchingly engage the peripheral surface of the roller drum (not shown) on which the foot is adapted to be secured by welding about the outer edge of the base flange 5. As said base flange 5 is substantially rectangular, the welding operation can be accomplished more readily and with greater resulting strength than otherwise.

In order to assure of great strength or rigidity between the elongated, frusto-conical shank l and its generally rectangular base flange 5, the shank, at its lower end portion, and in symmetrical relationship to the rounded corners 6, is formed with upstanding and outwardly projectillg reinforcing corners 8 of generally triangular shape in elevation, and which corners are exteriorly rounded.

By forming the shank I at its lower end portion with the corners 8, there is a smooth or non-abrupt merging of said shank I with the generally rectangular base flange 5, which assures of the desired strength, without tendency of any fracture occurring between said shank and flange.

By virtue of the fact that the shank I, for the major portion of its length, i. e. outwardly of the corners 8, is a smooth tapered cone, with a blunt or flat outer working end 2, the foot is selfcleaning when in use.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

A unitary integral forged steel tamping foot for a compacting roller implement, such foot consisting of a base flange curved in its under face to fit the roller drum of the implement, an elongated frusto-conical shank extending outwardly of the base and provided with a blunt outer working end, the shank being hollow with its inner end openin through the base flange, the shank including a plurality of outwardly flaring corner members adjacent the lower end of the shank, such corner members merging with the base flange at their lower ends and symmetrically merging with the shank at their upper 3 ends; the cross sectional area of the shank and corners gradually and uniformly increasing from a point adjacent the outer end of the shank to its'juncture with the base flange.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Ragland et a1 Aug. 29, 1939 Finley July 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1900 

